“Closing the loop” is the motivation behind Key City Compost, a regional waste hauling service set up three years ago to save resources from winding up in a landfill. The burgeoning company, based at the Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc. (FITCI) collects food scraps and other compostable materials, such as pizza boxes, flour sacks and BPI certified products, from residential and commercial clients to turn into fertilizer. The rich resulting soil is then available for farms, gardening and landscaping instead of contributing to the mountains of garbage piling up among America’s 3,000+ landfills. *
This month, Key City Compost took the initiative a step further, partnering with Eco-Products as a local distributor of certified compostable serviceware.
Key City Founder Phil Wescott explains. “This is a great way for conscientious restaurant owners and food service leaders to get away from single use plastic, especially for takeout.”
He adds perspective. “Think of that plastic cup with iced coffee from a café, the plastic fork picked up with a salad bar lunch from the grocery store deli in a Styrofoam container or the throwaway water bottle alongside it. We put so much into manufacturing and shipping these products, but they’re only used for a few minutes then tossed away.”
Single-use plastics make up 40% of the plastic produced globally. **
“Those things don’t disappear. They hang around the planet for decades, sometimes hundreds of years. Not only is that a waste of space, it’s a waste of valuable material. Little changes can mean a lot.”
Kathie Callahan Brady, CEO of FITCI, is a company advisor. She says, “It’s evident that the Key City crew is passionate about giving people the opportunity to do better with natural resources. They are growing the company with business practices that minimize environmental impact, too.”
Callahan Brady notes, “Key City Compost has been working with the City of Gaithersburg in Montgomery County for over a year and recently expanded into Washington County. They are adding team members. So, I think this is definitely the right time and place for such a unique business concept.”
Key City Compost is rewarding commercial customers with up to 25% off hauling services in combination with Eco-Products orders. Discounts are based on volume. Eco-Products are made from renewable resources (like corn, sugarcane or plant starch) or from recycled content. These include hot/cold cups, lids, straws, plates, bowls and other containers.
The hauling service is straightforward. Key City Compost exchanges sanitized bins for those filled with kitchen scraps, including dairy and meat, egg shells, pasta or bread, even houseplants and paper plates. They also accept BPI certified compostable items and those labeled ASTM D6868 or D6400. The material is then checked for contaminants and brought to a farm where it is converted to usable compost.
Wescott gets to the heart of the mission, “we need to feed people, not landfills.”
For more information about Key City Compost’s custom-tailored services, log on to http://www.keycompost.com. New residential signups get their first month free.
- http://www.earthday.org single use plastics FAQ
- http://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/food-service/
- https://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/services
Acceptable items for Key City Compost include:
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Pasta, bread, cereal
- Egg Shells
- Meat & dairy
- Coffee grounds, filters, & tea bags
- Paper towels and paper towel rolls
- Soiled paper food packaging
- Pizza boxes
- Flour and sugar bags
- Paper plates
- Baking ingredients, herbs, spices
- Household plants including soil
- Items labeled BPI Certified Compostable
- Items labeled ASTM D6868 or D6400
DO NOT compost:
- PLASTIC (unless labeled compostable)
- Styrofoam meat trays
- Aluminum foil
- Candles, synthetic corks and gum
- Dental floss and Q-tips
- Dryer lint sheets
- Disposable mop sheets
- Vacuum cleaner bags
- Hair, pet fur, pet waste
- Dead animals (such as pets, roadkill, caught)
- Fireplace or BBQ ashes
- Recyclable materials (such as glass or metal)
- Medical waste or diapers
- Items labeled biodegradable
- Items labeled Oxo-Biodegradable
4539 Metropolitan Court
